Typically, long distance telephone links for either voice or digital transmission, such as facsimile and the like, are provided by regulated long distance carriers for interstate and international calls, as well as many intrastate calls. The rates which are charged for calls placed over conventional long distance carriers are significantly higher than rates charged for local telephone calls. In fact, most local telephone calls are not subject to any additional tariffs, beyond a fixed monthly charge for the telephone line interconnection with a customer or user.
For some individuals and for many companies, particularly large companies with multiple locations throughout the United States and the rest of the world, monthly long distance telephone charges can be very significant. For large companies, these charges are in the thousands of dollars. Various sophisticated call routing systems have been developed to obtain least cost routing (LCR) for calls from one location to another through corporate PBX""s; but even when such systems are employed, significant monthly long distance telephone costs are incurred.
Digital message links between computers located anywhere in the world are established with communications links on the Internet. Various Internet providers supply message services for distributing xe2x80x9cE-mailxe2x80x9d between subscribers on the Internet. Individual subscribers have specific addresses supplied by their respective Internet providers; and host computers receive and distribute E-mail messages from computer xe2x80x9cmailboxesxe2x80x9d.
Other uses of the Internet are the establishment of direct on-line links between computers located throughout the world. Typed or written communications then may be effected by the various parties who are linked by their common selection of a particular computer xe2x80x9cchat roomxe2x80x9d.
All of the Internet communications which have been-discussed above are effected from the various computers involved by way of the placement of a local call on the public voice-grade telephone system. No long distance calls are necessary, even though communications are effected with computer users throughout the United States and throughout the world.
A mechanism for resource sharing among computer users, such as a plurality of computer work stations, file servers, facsimile servers, modem servers, printer servers and the like, is effected by links known as local area networks (LAN). Two or more local area networks may communicate with one another over a voice-grade telephone system by transmitting data in a form suitable for transmission over the telephone system. LAN systems are well known and are widely used for interconnecting multiple users with one another for corresponding over the Internet. This typically is effected through an interface between the LAN and the wire carrier system, typically a dial up connection being established between a host utilizing a T-1 wire line carrier connected to a telephone company central office and a remote host. This is accomplished by connecting the host to the LAN terminal server, which de-multiplexes the LAN communication inputs to communication lines which drive a dial-up modem for communications over a voice grade telephone line. The information then is transmitted over the T-1, T-2 or T-3 voice grade telephone line.
A system for connecting a public voice grade telephone system to a local area network (LAN) of the type described here is disclosed in the U.S. patent to Klotzback U.S. Pat. No. 5,410,754. The U.S. patent to O""Horo U.S. Pat. No. 5,519,767 discloses a voice and data modem used in a call waiting system. Even though voice and data information is employed in the system of this patent, no Internet or LAN links are disclosed.
The U.S. patent Walsh U.S. Pat. No. 5,528,595 discloses a modem input/output signal processing system which enables bilateral digital transmission between a telephone and a LAN. The system operates to modulate signals responsive to signals from a LAN representing an outgoing call to form digital telephone signals suitable for transmission by a telephone line, and suitable for demodulation by receiving analog modems. No provision for linking telephones over the Internet is provided by this system, however.
The U.S. patent to Davis U.S. Pat. No. 5,453,986 discloses a dual interface communications system, which allows switching from data to voice over data communications. The system operates in a voice over data communications mode, simultaneously, to send compressed voice and data.
Many companies have realized that quality Internet telephony communication is possible. To capitalize on the opportunity this presents, desktop software which offers computer-to-computer communication is flourishing. Internet telephony products are presently available which provide real time voice communications over the Internet using computers at each end. A problem with currently available products, however, is that all of these products are limited by the fact that they each require each individual user to have a computer with some type of Internet connection, and to have the same Internet telephony software. Such systems do not allow users to make calls using standard telephones.
In view of the technology presently available, it is desirable to provide a system which is capable of linking conventional voice grade telephones and key sets at one location, through a local area network (LAN), and through the Internet, to a telephone or key set at a remote (long distance) location.
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved long distance telephone system and method.
It is another object of this invention to provide an improved Internet long distance system and method.
It is an additional object of this invention to provide an improved phone server link using the Internet between telephones and key sets.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved long distance phone server system and method for effecting long distance telephone links between telephone users, by way of an Internet link.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, an Internet phone server bridge system is coupled with a telephone system, which routes predetermined long distance calls to the bridge system. The telephone numbers for the called party are converted by the phone server bridge into a corresponding Internet provider address for that party. The Internet provider address signals and the following digital data signals for compressed voice are converted to packages of digital data signals, which then are supplied over the Internet to a local area network and, from there, are routed through a bridge system to the called party telephone. At the receiving end, the IP address signals and the following digital data signals for the compressed voice are decompressed and converted to normal telephone voice grade signals. The address also is converted to a local phone number, supplied through a PBX or the like to the called party telephone. The conversation between the calling party and the called party takes place in a conventional manner; and the data link and signal conversions are transparent to the users.